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like a virgin!

shugosan
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shugosan
Hello ppl of poly!
I am looking for software at entry level graphics or intermediate.
Ive seen the price of some of the big boys but its too much wonga for me at the monment with out any history to speak of.

I want learn the fundamentals while looking for appropriate tuiton that can compliment my artwork & strengths (so some tuiton suggestions would be greatly appriciated in uk or online)!.
So software & tuiton suggestions would be really helpful as i look into the CG art blackhole clutching my wallet!!:poly122:
Cheers Neil.
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  • arrangemonk
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    arrangemonk polycounter lvl 15
    maya ple
    gmax
    xsi mod tool

    these things work pretty much like their big brothers so u an learn to use them
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  • Michael Knubben
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    Michael Knubben mod
    Nevercenter Silo: http://nevercenter.com/
    The cheapest version is 99 Dollars, the Pro version is 159, and it's wonderful.
    I would go for the Pro version, as the 'core' version lacks some things you'd need eventually, such as uv-editing.
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  • Rick Stirling
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    Rick Stirling polycounter lvl 18
    I second Silo, and you can grab a 30 day trial download to have a play with.

    There is also Blender, which is totally free and hos a lot of tutorials out there. I'm having a play with Houdini at home.
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  • Daaark
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    Daaark polycounter lvl 17
    I'm a recent Blender convert and I really like it. Avoid trueSpace, it's free but it's a broken down black hole.
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  • Xaltar
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    Xaltar polycounter lvl 17
    In all likelyhood you will end up on Max or Maya so maya PLE or Gmax would be a good thing to get used to. I would suggest you learn something like Modo and then one of the other 2 along side so you have exposure to more than one package. I went with Max from day one (gmax first then latter max) and I find I get stumped whenever I have to try change apps for exporting etc. Blender is kinda neat seeing as it incorporates sculpting as well as regular 3d tools but I find the interface confusing. Still, its been going for a while now and unlike the big boys it actually gets better with every release.

    Try em all an settle on one you like is my advice. Every app has pros and cons but at the end of the day its up to the artist which tools they can be most productive with.
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  • Michael Knubben
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    Michael Knubben mod
    Really, that is godawful advice.

    When you're just beginning, using four different programs at once is not a good use of your time. And unless they updated it (and I believe they did not, and actually ended development on it years ago, is that right?), gmax is hardly the way to go.
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  • claydough
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    claydough polycounter lvl 10
    gmax
    download
    http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax

    community
    http://www.turbosquid.com/Forum/Index.cfm/stgAct/ThreadList/intForumID/1042


    Maya PLE
    http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=7639525
    http://area.autodesk.com/index.php/forums/viewcategory/5/
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  • Xaltar
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    Xaltar polycounter lvl 17
    MightyPea wrote: »
    Really, that is godawful advice.

    When you're just beginning, using four different programs at once is not a good use of your time. And unless they updated it (and I believe they did not, and actually ended development on it years ago, is that right?), gmax is hardly the way to go.

    hehe, when you put it that way....

    Find which one suits your tastes I think is sound enough advice tho. Ignore the multiple apps bit, MightyPea has a point, it will just confuse you and waste time.
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  • shugosan
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    shugosan
    well thanks for the posts guys i have downloaded blender & the interface is a little confusing.
    i think ill touch on a few see how they feel!
    thanks to everyone so far nice one :poly124:!!
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  • Mark Dygert
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    Mark Dygert mod
    I'll 3rd Silo. Its amazingly cheap, stable and user friendly. The 30 day trial is more then enough time to fall in love with it. Ever since I picked it up I was left wondering why Max and Maya don't work like Silo does.

    Because its so cheap its not hard to convince employers to pick up a copy or two. After taking a few weeks to get silo under your belt (maybe less) you can branch out into the other free versions of Max and Maya and start to get familiar with them.

    Silo also give you a tiny taste of what its like to paint deform sculpt.

    Personally I'd not use Blender, it works unlike any other app out there, isn't really used in the industry and probably won't be.
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  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    I also recommend Silo if your looking for the basics to get you going quickly.

    Silo - cheap and amazing modeling tools
    Modo - up and coming hope for game artists
    XSI Mod Tool - a learning version similar to the commercial product. but not as limited as MayaPLE.

    XSI community training -
    http://community.softimage.com/forumdisplay.php?f=57

    Anyone recommending Gmax wants you to have a bleak future. In comparison, Blender is a better choice..
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  • East
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    East polycounter lvl 14
    I'd also go for Silo.

    Plus, not to promote piracy among such a community of upstanding netizens and morally chaste individuals with unbending, and unwavering integrity to the point of sainthood....... uh, um.. where was I? Oh, right. Just remember that many of the really good (and bad) professional artists out there actually did learn using pirated software when there was no way in hell they could afford 3ds max and Maya. It's one of those little "secrets" that no one likes to talk about, but if you look closely you'll probably spot the large pink elephant with red lipstick and ballerina skirt standing right in the middle of the room here, being totally ignored to death.

    I'm not normally this longwinded, honestly.

    Oh, and piracy is bad, etc, etc. [EDIT] Especially when it comes to Silo as it truly -is- affordable, and at the same time totally awesome.
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  • sprunghunt
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    sprunghunt polycounter
    XSI foundation is really cheap for what you get.

    http://www.softimage.com/products/foundation/

    It does almost everything you could ever want for game art and animation and has also been used in several hi-profile movies (happy feet for example)
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  • Daaark
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    Daaark polycounter lvl 17
    sprunghunt wrote: »
    XSI foundation is really cheap for what you get.

    http://www.softimage.com/products/foundation/

    It does almost everything you could ever want for game art and animation and has also been used in several hi-profile movies (happy feet for example)
    It's been discontinued.

    The pulled it, and gave their users 30 days to cough up 1000$ to upgrade.
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  • Ged
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    Ged interpolator
    I started with max and c4d at university, I use c4d alot at work and its really good has a neat interface and has loads of great tutorials at www.c4dcafe.com but its a bit expensive and not really games focused.

    So yeah Id also recommend silo, but yes later max/maya might need to be learnt.
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  • stimpack
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    stimpack polycounter lvl 10
    Fine, ill be the one to say it. Just pirate a version of max or maya and go at it. I went to college and it broke me completly. So the teachers would have cracked versions of software on the transfer drives for students to grab. Just dont run off and try to make money off it.

    /flame suit on
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  • Nysuatro
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    Nysuatro
    I can recommend Silo
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  • Pope Adam
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    Pope Adam polycounter lvl 11
    lol pirating

    i do not morally object

    /flame suit on
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